Asano Yoshinaka
Asano Yoshinaka '(浅野義仲 ''Asano Yoshinaka) '''Asano Yoshinaka (浅野義仲 Asano Yoshinaka) Despite his more support style while in combat, he is a valuable addition to the team and fights to his dying breath to protect his team. Appearance He has tousled black hair, which is thick and lustrous. The way it grows it can almost be considered a fro, though his bangs flow gently in the breeze and don't have the thick, rigid nature of the rest of his hair. His eyes are a mesmerizing deep ocean blue, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout. They are framed by thick lashes and eyebrows that convey his sincerity clearly. His face is strong and defined, as if his features were molded from granite. His usually playful smile is always placed nicely in his angled jaw, though in battle it is drawn into a hard line across his face. His prominent jaw curves gracefully around and the strength of his neck showed in the twining cords of muscle that shaped his entire body; strong arms, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and abdomen. He was an Adonis among the other men who each pale in comparison; a physique that has been achieved from a lifetime of training. This muscular body is often hidden behind his suit of armor, but is a badge of pride for his involvement in the Rune Knight's Dragon's Tooth squadron. His navy brigandine is covered by a unique blend of nonferrous onyx tinted metals that have been etched with gold embellishments. Its pristine condition has been lost to the tales of many battles, but the honor it carries can still be felt by Asano. His signature garment is the blue scarf given to him by the dragon whom raised him, and is something he will never let go of until his dying breath. Personality Asano is what many people have come to call an idealist, his actions driven by his optimistic vision of what is best for humanity. His face is always alive with charisma and kindness, his personality drawing others to him for his ability to see the best potential in others. He is rather tuned into the needs of others and acutely aware of their suffering; though he has an intuitive sense of many emotions, making him often act as an emotional barometer for the people around him. However, his compassion is not just reserved for the people close to him and his fellow members of Dragon’s Tooth; he has often been called a “silly humanitarian”, for his genuine concern for all those he encounters as he tend to personally experience the feelings of others, and feel compelled to act when he see people suffering. It is this nature that has caused him a great deal of heartache, but has pushed him to become stronger in order to protect those who suffer. Asano is highly energetic and driven, and often optimistic and forward-thinking, intuitively seeing opportunity for improvement. It is this that makes him highly ambitious; not just in improving his own skill, but helping others improve theirs so they can better serve others. It is this continuous joy that earns him strong connections with others, as he believes that cooperation is the best way to get things done. He likes to be liked, making him very sensitive to feedback, both positive and negative. Negative feedback does not get him down however, for growing up around Rune Knights he was used to the critique of his higher ups. Asano expects the best not just from himself, but from others as well, and gets rather disappointed and upset when his teammates don’t give it their all. Asano is a natural teacher, as he tends to take charge of a situation, and guide a group towards those activities and experiences which will help them learn and grow. He intuitively sees the potential in people, and with charisma and warmth, he will encourage others to pursue greater development of their strengths. It brings him great joy to help others succeed, and so he can be seen visibly energized when leading others to discover new knowledge and achievements. With his talent at using words to connect with others he has no trouble conversing with those around him to effectively draw out his plan, or lead others in a particular course of action. History Born on the deck of a family's fishing boat, Asano was already at home in the water, as he instinctively reached out for the gentle sway hugging the belly of the boat. His parents were overjoyed at their new gift, but this joy was short lived, as their boat became entrapped in the coils of the water dragon Ikuchi. Ikuchi was known to wrap around boats and fill them with oil from his skin until they sank if they were not paying the proper respects to the gifts from the sea. Their ship quickly sank, but his parents did their best to save their baby from the clutches of the underworld. Hearing the cry of the baby, and sensing the great respect and love the baby had in its heart for the ocean and its creatures, Ikuchi took in the baby as his own and taught him the ways of magic and the respect needed to be one with the ocean. When Asano was only around eight years old however, the Cambium Knights of Hylion came to the hiding of Ikuchi and slayed him for his crimes against the fisherman's boats and penitence for the people he had killed. Seeing as Asano had nowhere to go, Shrine Maiden took him in and treated him as one of their own. Magic Abilities Barrier Magic (バリアの魔法 Baria no Mahō): This allows Asano to concentrate his magical energy in his hands that projects a field of magical force that he can manipulate into a number of relatively simple forms: rectangular planes, cylinders, globes, domes, cones, etc; and is Asano's most powerful form of defense. Having learned it from his adoptive father, Asano has become rather apt at performing the magic. With his strong will to protect all members of the Cambium Knights, Asano has trained night and day to perfect the strength and reach of his barrier. He is able to withstand a hit from multiple mages and create a barrier large enough to encompass an entire building. The larger and thicker the barrier, the more magical energy is needed, so Asano typically only constructs a barrier long enough to fend off an incoming attack, and then deconstructs it. *'Himorogi Delineation' (神籬 描写 Himorogi Byōsha): The most basic of the barrier spells, Asano can form a multitude barrier of varying shape and thickness, functioning independent of one another. This barrier is made up of pure Ki, making it impossible for even mages of the highest skill to manipulate or consume. These barrier particles vibrate in such a way that, even though they can be broken with a fairly strong attack, they can withstand most weapon attacks, physical attacks, and projectile attacks from that of an average mage. The dimensions of this barrier is typically only two to three inches thick, but is fluid enough to cover a variety of objects in a 120 square feet area. They also are not bound by earthly ties, meaning that the barrier itself does not have to have an anchor and can freely float and move alongside Asano should they use it as a shield. This also means that even if a mage does happen to break out of the barrier, Asano can simply manipulate it to stretch back around the target, then reinforce it so it doesn’t happen again. *'Torii Stockade' (鳥居の柵 Torii no Saku): A highly skilled entrapment spell that can be used for detainment or physical restrictions. The first variation of this spell works as an improvement on the basic barrier spell, causing four translucent Torii gates appear in a box around the target with walls three feet thick. These Torii gate hold unique properties in the fact that Asano's Ki that is used in this spell will be able to reflect all attacks from inside the barrier, causing them to bounce back at its caster. They have been shown to even take on an Gold level attack from a dark mage without so much as a crack to its walls. Asano is able to enter inside their own stockade as well, turning the prison into an easily contained area that they can use to mutilate their enemy. The second variation is the unique ability from where this spell gets its name. In order to activate this, Asano must first take in some of the Ki from their target. That can be from simply getting hit with an attack, or by obtaining blood from a swipe made at them. This is so he can have the magical signature of the mage to lock on his attack. Once he has obtained enough traces of ethernano to be able to perform the attack with utmost certainty, he will slam both hands into the ground simultaneously to bring down a series of seven Torii gates onto the target. These gates are made up of the same draconic ethernano as other barrier spells and are able to bind them to the ethernano radiating from the earth’s core to make them nearly immovable. These gates will land atop each of the seven chakras along the targets body, effectively pinning them to the ground without an inch to move around in. The gates are able to adjust to encompass any size mage, able to maintain its hold even with the ebb and flow of a mage’s struggle. *'Perennial Tamagaki' (多年生玉垣 Tanensei Tamagaki): The most powerful barrier spell that Asano can perform. When this is done Asano's Ki will resonate with each particle, making it immensely more powerful and capable of holding off an attack of Beast Saint level. When this spell is conjured, it looks as if a Japanese style wall is rising from the ground, although it is transparent with a blue hue. The wall itself can span up to eight miles in length, and up to five feet thickness, making it a formidable barrier against the likes of a powerful Wizard Saint, or an army of mages. This spells requires a great deal of magical energy and so it is typically the final defense Asano can perform. It follows the same principle as the Torri Stockade barrier in that it has the ability to reflect back attacks of lesser power as long as its walls remain undamaged and uncracked. The pressure given off by this spell is even enough to stop simple projectile weapons with its glowing aura. Memory Magic '(記憶操作 ''Kioku Sōsa) is a magic that allows a mage to manipulate the memories of a desired target. The effectiveness of this magic depends on the proficiency of the caster, but has been proven to be an extremely difficult magic to master as it requires complex knowledge of the brain anatomy and physiology, as well as being able to decipher brain patterns. By stimulating the hippocampus with their Ki a mage is able to cause the growth of new neurons that are able to fire in a particular pattern, in different regions of the brain, to construct a false memory. Constructing a memory "from the past" is far greater than creating one that takes place in the present or future. This is because in order for a memory to seem fluid within the timeline of a mage's life, a caster would have to be able to pinpoint exactly where a particular memory is stored in order to analyze it's firing pattern to replicate things such as scenery, people present, and radiant sounds. For example putting in a memory of a mage's time spent in the snow with their parents, when in fact they grew up on an island as an orphan, would not make sense and be easily seen through as a manipulation. It is far easier for a mage to construct a false memory during the time of an event due to the fact that they can perceive the current firing of neurons within the hippocampus and alter them to leave out, or include, details that were not there before. This challenge can also be overcome with past memories by having the person think back to the time when an instant happened, allowing them to recall the memory themselves, making it far easier for a caster to locate and alter it. In order for a mage to create a long-term constructed memory they must alter the consolidation process of memory storage. Consolidation is the processes of stabilizing a memory trace after the initial acquisition and encoding. It is usually thought of as consisting of two specific processes, synaptic consolidation (which occurs within the first few hours after encoding) and system consolidation (where hippocampus-dependent memories become independent of the hippocampus over a period of weeks to years). * 'Memory Broadcast '(記憶放送, Kioku Hōsō): An additional skill associated with this Magic is that Asano may at any given point relay and subsequently replay their own memories to whomever they desire by firing off the person's synapses in the same order as their own memory; following a similar process as implanting a memory. However, the downfall of this magic works the same as Charm: if the targets find out about the truth, the magic will wear off. * '''Memory Absorption (メモリーた吸収, Memorīta Kyūshū):Asano can absorb memories selectively by copying the arrangement of synaptic configuration from the source, and repeating said arrangement themselves. This allows them to gain some form of advantage, either by enhancing themselves through a skill, gaining the knowledge of a given scenario or attack, or by gaining personal information for various uses. This ability can be used either temporarily or permanently, although to acquire the skill permanently requires a great deal of Ki to be flooded into the brain to maintain this neuron configuration. A typical memory absorption will last about two hours before Ki will have to be used to maintain the skill or knowledge. * Memory Erase (メモリ消去, Memori Shōkyo):Asano can erase various memories of an intended target by disabling the paths created during consolidation. Asano can also erase various limits/limitations or blocks on oneself or others' capabilities. This can be used to erase fears, pain, or for example, removing their target's ability to increase their powers or skills, causing them to decrease or simply remove them. * Memory Revive (メモリ復活, Memori Fukkatsu): Asano can heal others memories which have been altered or even deleted. This works as the reverse path of Memory Erase, and focuses on restoring neural pathways that were once there. This can also work by removing blocks placed to conceal a memory, as it works by making connections to go around said block without the risk of using Erase and accidentally destroying part of the memory's core. * Memory Scan (メモリスキャン, Memorisukyan):Asano is able to read the neural pathways of a target by placing a hand on the target's head and extracts any information needed, even if the target has forgotten it or has had it blocked. The speed at which this is done is dependent on the target's strength, contact time, as well as the Ki used to conduction the scan. Physical Abilities All Around Weapon Specialist: From his upbringing Asano was taught a variety of basics for each weapon class, later expanding on his skills to achieve a mastery in the likes of the polearm, spear, and sword. He rather excels when it comes to using dual-weapons, moving fluidly and gracefully to block and strike down any enemy in his path. With the sword he has shown that he is incredibly skilled in the one handed grip, not losing a significant amount of power when compared to that of the usual two handed grip. His polearm skills were praised as the most promising during his younger years by the head of the Rune Knights, as he took an immediate liking to such weapons. He is able to swing his weapons in an incredible fast manner, using his reflexes and speed to the fullest. He is able to unleashed swift strikes, often attacking in such an aggressive manner that his opponent is unable to retaliate or deflect all of the powerful blows. His speed at manipulating his weapons has even been able to deflect bullets and projectile from an enemy's target. His power with a weapon is also able to produce shockwaves from his strikes, giving him tremendous cutting power capable of effortlessly slicing through defenses while pushing enemies to their absolute limits. His defenses when blocking seems unmatched, and his offense is capable of tremendous precision. Utilizing evasion techniques, with effortless counterattacks, Asano tends to use his speed to overwhelm the opponent and create an opening for himself. * Sword Specialist: Asano is able to utilize both short and long ranged attacks at various angles dependent on the sword he conjures. The tremendous cutting power of Asano's sword strikes are capable of effortlessly slicing through defenses with extreme accuracy and proficiency. Combining with his physical and magical abilities, Asano can instantaneously blaze through every enemy before him with his own speed and teleportation magic, leaving more blood behind him than the sweat of his brow. Asano's fighting style focuses on strong, concise strikes that deal a great deal of damage. His attacks are typically that with a large, quick, sweeping movements, using his sword to cleave through opponents with every strike. He has great range on his attacks, as weapons are levitated and logically thrown at the intended targets nearby, which causes great difficulty for those trying to advance on him. His speed and precision helps him create a large-scale mobility as a means for versatility and uncertainty when attacking. ** Iaijutsu: One of the principle sword techniques any swordsmen has at their disposal, this technique is by far her most proficient. Iaijutsu is a combative sword-drawing art, but not necessarily an aggressive art, because iaijutsu is also a counterattack-oriented art. Iaijutsu technique may be used aggressively to wage a premeditated surprise attack against an unsuspecting enemy. This fits in well with Asano's nature as he is never one to initiate attack without reason, and this art allows him to focus on counter attacks. ** Jikishinkage-ryū: This is mainly learned to teach a mage footwork and breathing. The footwork used in the Jikishinkage-ryū style and can be translated as law, rule or method (for) transporting, conveying or carrying ('walking'). It is stressed that both feet stay firmly planted on the ground at all times. The kiai consists not only of the shouting, like most martial arts, but of the proper way of inhaling and state of mind as well. Every kata has two distinct roles called uchidachi, the striking/attacking sword, and shidachi, the doing/receiving sword. Roughly, the swordsman draws a semicircle (upwards or downwards) with both their right hand (holding the sword), and their left hand (free). They finish the movement with his arms extended, the sword pointing upwards, and the free hand's index finger pointing downwards. They represent all the things in heaven and all the things in earth, and Asano in the center of everything. Another typical technique is both arms movement in which uchidachi raises with both arms and receives the subsequent uchikomi with the side of the blade. This results in thrusting the left arm forwards and turning both arms outwards to allow to absorb shidachi's cut which is in kiritsuki style like performed by a kaishakunin. ** Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Hokushin Ittō-ryū is a very intense dueling style, which focuses on simple and fast techniques where no unnecessary movements are made. Controlling the enemy’s center line with the Kiri-Otoshi and dominating him with extremely fast tsuki-waza are the signature techniques of this ryūha. The principles of this style are that a perfect technique should contain defense and offense in one action. * Spear/Staff Specialist: His skill as a warrior with the spear stands high, as he can typically be seen carrying this weapon around while out on jobs or even around the guild. He can be seen utilizing fluid motions when he is wielding a spear, giving his attacks a sense of grace, as well as a seemingly endless array of potential strikes. By slowing his breathing down to match his opponent's Asano is capable of entering a state of keen awareness of his opponents moves, basing it on the pattern and alteration of their breaths. His stance can alter between one for countering his opponent's moves by using the shaft of his spear to deflect attacks away; or he can lower his spear toward the ground to execute various ethernano defenses, like Defenser. It is this lowered stance Asano becomes far more deadly, as he is capable of blocking attacks from any direction as well as being able to attack with a swift raise of the spear. He is able to perform as a dual-handed spearman, capable of using each hand to fight and throw his opponents off guard. When using his spears he has shown a master usage of Sojutsu and Bojutsu, with a mastery in Torunku Ryu, and has even gone as far being capable of moving his spear fast enough to deflect projectiles. His ability to perform tremendously powerful and precise strikes, launch several consecutive strikes in a matter of mere moments, and versatility against opponents has given him the skill to render many of his targets unable to fight by striking and paralyzing the joints needed to wield a weapon. ** Torunku Ryū: '''The offensive aspects of the style focus on conditioning Asano on an instinctive basis to, when fighting with a pole weapon, always keep the opponent within a certain zone of attack to optimize offense while still retaining the ability to defend oneself. By keeping the opponent a comfortable distance away Asano is able to focus more on offense. Taking advantage of the extended reach of the staff, Torunku-Ryu holds a distinct advantage over weapons with shorter reaches, besetting the enemy with a relentless flurry of vigorous assaults at range. In the interest of pressing the advantage, practitioners of this weapons form are able to close considerable distance in a short space of time relying on pure agility as long as the opponent is within 15 meters of their position. Because of the extended reach of the weapons used in this form Asano is able to deliver attacks faster than the time it takes for an opponent to cast a spell, forcing the mage to attempt to physically dodge or block Asano's strike. Thus, this weapons form is extremely effective in closing the distance and forcing a direct physical confrontation. A master of such art can fight fluidly with two polearms at once. The draw back to this form is that Asano will not be able to fight quite as effectively in extreme close quarters, nor can the advantage be maintained if the opponent's weapon is sufficiently heavy or of similar length to Asano's. Torunku Ryu is also excellent at defense and evasive maneuvers. The defensive aspects of the style rely on perception and awareness of surroundings. By using deceptively quick sweeping movements Asano is able to divert force away from their body easily by simultaneously shifting into the least accessible position while also not confronting the force directly when necessary. This can work to defend Asano even from extremely swift assaults. Asano can easily alternate between offence and defense, as this form allows for fluid transition. In addition Asano is trained to whip the staff around his body so quickly, they are able to block multiple projectiles from several directions easily so long as none are fired from a blind spot. This form is less effective in close quarters or in tight, confined spaces with places to potentially catch the staff weapon and halt its movement. Adept skill in the style allows Asano to fight on par with close range combat masters on equal terms, and mastery of the style allows Asano the ability to fight on equal terms with nearly any opponent. ** '''Bōjutsu: The basis of bo technique comes from thrusting, swinging, and striking techniques that often resemble empty-hand movements, following the philosophy that the bō is merely an "extension of one’s limbs". Bōjutsu attacks are often avoided by agile footwork or jumps and returning strikes made at the enemy’s weak points. The bō is typically gripped in thirds, and when held horizontally in front, the right palm is facing away from the body and the left hand is facing the body, enabling the bō to rotate. The power is generated by the back hand pulling the bō, while the front hand is used for guidance. When striking, the wrist is twisted, as if turning the hand over when punching. Bō technique includes a wide variety of blocks, strikes, sweeps, and entrapments. The bō may even be used to sweep sand into an opponent’s eyes. ** Sojutsu: Sojutsu focuses on the various uses of the spear in combat, and is one of the principle stance and holding techniques for those who learn the spear. Generally speaking, there are many kinds of spears or, Yari, that a mage can use within combat, however, nearly all of them are used in the same way. Asano holds the bottom of the shaft with one hand and uses the other one near the middle. With the spear held like this, Asano can keep the weapon between himself and the opponent, giving him a great advantage, and can also move it out of the opponent's range and slash back at him easily. Master Martial Artist/Hand-to-Hand Combatant: While not as skilled in the art as he is with his weapons, his father did teach him proper techniques to be quite competent and deadly when unarmed. Asano has repeatedly shown his prowess in agility and speed, and when coupled with his impressive strength, his punches are unexpected and bone breaking. Additionally, he is quite inventive—coming up with creative attacks on the spot to launch against his enemies, finding ways to use the targets own body against them. Asano excels in power, using strong and precise punches, such as power packed jabs or piercing uppercuts, to deal damaging blows to his opponents. Once he catches an opponent in his combos, he keep them trapped by increasing the rate of his strikes in a seemingly unpredictable manner, not allowing his opponents a chance to block or counterattack. For stronger strikes, Asano will employee his slayer magic, adding high speed rotating water to put a great deal of force behind a hit, easily shattering bones. He has proficient understanding of various martial arts, and will use these techniques when evading blows and countering, as he has a sophisticated understanding of how the body moves in various styles of combat. * Ki no Michi '(木の道, ''Ki no Michi lit. "The Way of the Tree") is a martial arts style created by the monks of the Minstrel Mountains. It is said that the monks created it to be an integration of their martial arts practices and the personal expression of their philosophy to "live like that of a tree. Staying sturdy with deep roots, even in the face of a growing storm or scorching sun." This fast paced, flexible style of martial arts focuses on neutralizing an attack early on or using Asano's momentum and predicted trajectory to dodge said attack for a counter. It emphasizes a majority of throwing techniques and joint manipulations, although the use of a mages Ki, later realized to be ethernano, is of great importance when delivering an effective block or counter. Also of particular importance is the timing of a defensive technique, either to blend or to neutralize an attack's effectiveness and to use the force of the attacker's movement against him. This means that a mage must be of fast body and mind in order to read an opponents intentions and movements in order to effectively block. ** '''God Cedar Cranial Descent (神杉頭蓋降下, Kamisugi Tōgai Kōka): Working best as in immediate counter move to follow an opponent's momentum, however, this move does require a great deal of strength to aid in the execution. As an opponent comes in for an attack, the mage will target the leading foot and scoop one the opponents thighs with their free hand. Using the opponents momentum to aid in their ascension, the mage will lift their opponent upside down so that their head is the closest point of contact to the earth. The mage will then proceed to drop to their side or back, driving the opponent into the earth on their neck and shoulders, or on the top of their head. If executed properly this move will follow one fluid motion and can leave the opponent with severe dizziness, a concussion, cracked cranium, paralysis, or even death if the opponent happens to land in such a way. ** Great Banyan Dance (大きなガジュマルの踊り, Ōkina Gajumaru no Dansu): Beginning with an ethernano pulse from a low rise kick to the opponent's sternum, a mage is effectively knocked up into the air. Afterwards, Asano's moves will differ based on the opening they see. They will typically swivel gracefully to land a kick to the left side of their opponent. This will shift the opponents center of gravity on their fall to cause them fall on their side. On the opponents decent, a backhand strike to the face will shift the opponent's body to be parallel with the ground. It finishes with a ethernano infused punch to the gut upon the opponents impact with the ground. This final blow has been seen to break ribs, and never fails to knock the wind straight out of their lungs. Mages have been seen infusing their own magic into the hits to make this dance much more lethal and powerful. ** Jaya Sri Maha Kick (ジャヤスリマハキック, Jayasurimahakikku): Once Asano is able to see an opening, they focus a great deal of ethernano into their leg for power, while also maintaining their center of balance and delivers a kick at the opponent's weak spot. The only major weakness of this technique is that Asano has to focus a great deal of ethernano into their legs, forcing them to lower the power given to their arms; this can be covered by an X guarded stance, or use the free leg to block as well. With the swiftness and power concentrated into the leg, this is easily break bones if an opponent holds no defensive protection. This is also a versatile skill that can be used to launch Asano into the air with a vertical distance of 45 feet. ** Jōmon Sugi Thrust (縄文杉の推力, Jōmon Sugi no Suiryoku): This technique begins with an open palm uppercut to the opponent's chin at close range. Once the hand is placed against the opponent's chin, the free hand is then used to strike the connected elbow. The force created from both hands is now behind a single point that's in contact with the opponent's chin. Since the hand is already in contact with the opponent's chin, they won't be able to evade the second hit. This is a skillful move to evade a grasp, as your opponent is within range and would not be able to stand the backward force to their spinal column without releasing their hold. ** Chankiri Revenge (チャンキリ復讐, Chankiri Fukushū): With one arm cocked back, and the other extended forward, the practioner throws a punch from the drawn-arrow stance. The mage delivers an swift punch forward to the chest, using a pulse of ethernano to knock the wind out of the chest. A swift turn of the hips will send the other hand to dig into the heart with wrist bent and elbow facing downward. The end result can lead to cardiac arrest from blunt trauma to the heart. This move does take a great skill of precision to deliver the second blow through the spacing of the ribs.So a mage must practice on a multitude of targets before delivering such a fatal blow. ** Kannimara Chord Cut (カニマラコードカット, Kanimara Kōdokatto): while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended. With fingers extended outward, Asano covers their hand in a coat of ethernano; at the moment of impact, the pronated hand is generally held in a horizontal orientation with the palm facing the ground. The power of this attack comes from it's ability to cut the vessels of it's opponent when executed with enough force. Using two fingers can cut off blood flow until the pressure is released, three can cause severe bruising, four fingers can cut superficial nerves and vessels, and 5 finger can damage muscle fibers. ** Tembusu Mania Blitz (テンブスブリッツマニア, Tenbusu Burittsumania): This strike follows a downward push of the target's own strike by applying fierce pressure to the joint's of the target's striking limb and causing it to lose it's consecutive momentum. Afterwards, fighter had to stiff his body to it's utmost limits on the moment of impact. When Asano uses it at the right moment in a strike, all of his joints will be fixed. Although difficult, if done correctly,they will strike with the weight of their whole body. When the strike is covered in ethernano, and comes in contact with the water that makes up the human body, it sends a shock wave through the body that can temporarily paralyze the target. Magical Prowess: 'Praised as one of the most skilled mages in his clan, Asano is able to perform spells with little or no fatigue when compared to that of the average mage. His large amount of magical power is finely controlled through years of practice in order to be at the utmost peak of his abilities to take on his revenge. Although, while he usually keeps it under control, when sufficiently angered, he can release it to its full extent; something that causes an overwhelming force to be released from his body, unleashing shockwaves that tear up the earth. But Asano is a rather calm person and keeps a good hold on his magical exertions so that he can save his energy for combat. Because of this natural control over the exertion of his magic, it is virtually impossible to detect his presence by normal means, although a highly skilled sensor would be able to sense the small amount of ethernano that does leak from his pores. * 'Magical Aura: A Magical Aura is a common term given to the exertion of magical energy into a form outside of Asano's body that isn't used in the formation of spells. It has been demonstrated by various mages of varying potency, and is a common means of intimidation. A magical aura is created when the body's container of Ki particles exceeds the limits of what it contains, or is purposefully released by Asano. Upon doing so, the magical energy surges around the body and is exerted outwards in the form of an aura, which holds considerable pressure surrounding it. Depending on the level of magical power one possesses and the control behind it, it can be used as a means to intimidate another individual, or as a preparation for a powerful spell. A single magical aura can have a wide variety of effects dependent on the power an individual exerts, which will be outlined in the following sections. A standard aura is produced by mages with a moderate level of magical power within their body. By exerting it outward, it forms a thin layer of pressure that can cause one to be intimidated if they aren't a mage, or if they are a rather weak mage. This is generally demonstrated by individuals of S-Class strength when they are holding back, or when standard mages are showing that they are entering their full reserves of power. It should be noted that the density of this aura, by a S-Class mage, can cause physical attacks to be repelled with notable ease. Asano is a fairly special case in the fact that his aura is finely in tune with his emotions, to such a caliber that it can be seen growing out as a sort of second skin during the heat of battle. When released consciously, his aura is that of a blue color and seems to flow softly around him like the waves kissing the sandy shore. * Master of Ki Manipulation: ''' From a young age Asano had first learned Ki Manipulation through traditional means of meditation, taught to him by his guardians. He has the additional capabilities of absorbing Ki into his magical origin, as well as manipulating the Ki for offensive, defensive, and supportive purposes in any way that he wishes; although it still requires a great deal of concentration for him to harness ambient Ki, and so it isn't used in battle frequently. Generally, a magician has an easier time collecting this stray ethernano in environments with higher concentrations of it such as the area where a vicious battle between others has progressed. He has however, been able to manipulate his own Ki reserves with great skill, allowing him to execute attacks without excess waste of ethernano. At the absolutely highest level, a master magician's Ki prowess functions as a defense against illusions due to their sheer mastery over it, making them all but immune to everything except the strongest of fabrications. '''Incredible Strength: Perhaps his most astonishing physical attribute, is the fact that Asano possesses a truly monstrous level of strength, to such a degree that it was thought to require no less than 40 years to achieve such status without the use of magical enhancements. Asano possesses a greater number of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers; maximizing his strength to the utmost abilities. Slow-twitch fibers specialize in long-duration, low-intensity movement, where as fast-twitch fibers create high-intensity actions lasting fewer than 30 seconds. His teacher devised a unique training regime that focuses on harnessing the inner power of the body through meditation, exercise, and diet. The program is well rounded, focusing on maximizing both slow and fast twitch muscles, which is why he is one of the most versatile warriors in combat. Once a training program is complete, a mage possess extreme explosive power in his hits and agile endeavors; while also having the stamina to persist in this power for hours. At the lower end of the spectrum, Asano can easily lift full grown adults with a single hand and with no effort. In fact, with his enormous strength and lethal precision, his attacks can deal extreme damage, easily capable of shattering bones even with a glancing blow. When matches with the weight and sharpness of his weapons, little to no one stands a chance against him in close combat. Immense Speed and Reflexes: Asano is able to move at jaw-dropping speeds to close the gaps between him and his target within seconds. Asano has tremendous leg strength capable of giving him an explosive power to achieve that which is almost invisible to the untrained eye. Much like his overall physical strength, Asano's speed comes from his insane training method, giving him the ability to maneuver around his opponent and obstacles with ease and precision, changing directions without the slightest delay. Asano's reflexes are also impressive, being able to act fast enough to dodge his opponent's punches, kicks and weapons with ease, using great flexibility to evade the attacks. A natural gift, these amazing reflexes come from Asano's ability to process information at an incredible rate. Although perhaps not quite as fast as some of his teammates, he is capable of moving with a normal run of 28 MPH without the aide of ethernano, and while in battle increasing that up to 49 MPH at take off. High Pain Tolerance and Heightened Sensation: His bloodline show excessively high pain tolerance, with markedly decreased endogenous concentrations of nociceptin (pain-activating neurotransmitter) and extraordinarily high levels of enkephalin and anandamide (natural biologically-occurring pain relievers), which both serve to decrease pain reception. Furthermore, their thalamus show super-threshold afferent and efferent innervation, especially to the eye, ear, nose, and somatosensors, thus increasing the ability of their central nervous system to receive and integrate external sensory stimuli. This increased perception time has given him a reaction time of 0.047; a time twice that of the average human. Keen Intellect: Due to his magic, Asano possess an innate capability to learn and understand the complexity of objects, magic, easily formulate strategies as he go. He seem just to "have" the feeling of when to dodge or how to dodge and in addition, are exceptional at learning anything that uses the body. While it is not confirmed, Asano as a Water Dragon Slayer has shown to be an expert kinaesthetic or tactile learner. People with a preference for kinesthetic learning are also commonly known as "do-ers". This makes Asano a better combatant, analyst and a better learner overall. When asked, Asano claimed this ability was common among every Water Dragon Slayer. Though he also appears to be an exceptional visual learner, who can attempt tasks by visually witnessing them once or twice, or reading them in a book. From the midst of the battlefield, Asano is very calm and rational when it comes to analyzing his opponents movement and their use in magic. He effectively analyzes and remembered the motions of his opponent to allowing him to plan his next move accordingly and exploit the weakness of his enemy. Asano is able to easily judge their combat style based on eye movement, body language, and verbal communication; using this information to deduce the most appropriate plan of action. This way he can intentionally take control of their path of travel and awareness by manipulating his own actions to subtly direct others in the way he wants them to go. Asano is predetermined on changing how the battle scenario plays out from the moment it starts, sabotaging their opponents' playing field and ability to counter him in battle. Asano is also quite adaptable to the environment at hand, using his wide array of knowledge to allow him to tackle any challenge. It is this ability that makes him highly valued on the Dragon's Tooth team; the reason he was chosen for such a group. * Incredible Tactician: He is highly observant and analytical, and judging from how quickly he can analyze an opponent's power and attack patterns, most maneuvers are ultimately useless against in due time. He is capable of performing a calm analysis of battle conditions, even when in danger, and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all possibilities to successfully execute his target. This skill can also translate into easily pinpointing weaknesses and quickly calculate new battle plans as the fight is taking place. This is in part due to his great instincts and intuition which allows him to quickly become aware of his surroundings and react to incoming danger in time. In addition to his incredible tactical prowess, he is also shown to be a very perceptive; being able to deduce a person’s true motives and intentions by thoroughly observing their individual patterns, personality traits and characteristics. Superior Acrobatics and Agility: Asano can perform any complicated sequence of gymnastic stunts with ease. Asano is extraordinarily limber and his tendons and connective tissues are twice as elastic as the average human being's, making feats such as flips and springs as easy as breathing. He has the combined agility and acrobatic prowess of the most skilled acrobats and easily incorporates this into his fighting style. He has impressive personal strength and phenomenal equilibrium, making him one of the most lethal combatants; as accomplishing feats such as scaling a wall, evading trip wires, and leaping from roof support beams is easily accomplished with little to no discomfort. Some say his movements are attributed to his expertise with water, as he ebbs and flows like the river when he moves. Trivia * Asano is modeled after Li Dian of Dynasty Warriors 8. * His name is a combination of two of the famous men from the legend of the forty-seven ronin: Asano Naganori, and the man he assulted, Kira Yoshinaka Category:Shrine Maiden Member Category:Male Category:Mage Category:Mages Category:Weapon User Category:Sword User Category:Barrier Magic User